


The Bear

by monidon



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-12
Updated: 2016-08-12
Packaged: 2018-08-08 09:33:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7752376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monidon/pseuds/monidon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seven year old Mikasa has always wanted a friend of her own. When a new family moves in next door, she learns making new friends is a bit more difficult than she thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Bear

**Author's Note:**

> From the tumblr prompt: Little sweet Mikasa having a crush on her neighbor. It didn't quite pan out like that but I hope you enjoy. This is my attempt at getting back into writing longer fics.

Tiny hands pressed fingerprints into the window as it fogged with each shallow breath; inquisitive eyes watching carefully as the contents from the moving truck outside slowly spilled out and into the recently vacated home next door. Mirrors, glasses, and other objects glittered against the early morning sun as they traveled step-by-step up the narrow walkway.  _ Inhale through the nose _ ,  _ exhale out the mouth _ ... a table, lamp, dresser, bed-

“ _ Mikasa _ , come finish your breakfast.” Her mother called from the kitchen, only the slightest hint of annoyance in her voice – enough that the girl knew she could steal a few more moments at the window.

“Look!” she finally squealed, bouncing on her toes as she pointed to the tiny bed frame outside. “There’s kids!”

“And we’ll meet them tomorrow. Give them a chance to settle into their new home, hmm?” Her mother replied gently, lifting her back to her seat at the table with an affectionate pinch to her chubby cheek. “Why don’t we make them something to welcome them to the neighborhood?  _ After _ breakfast.”

Mikasa giggled and spooned the rest of her oatmeal into her mouth, wondering if the new kids were as excited to meet her as she was them. 

As it turned out, the tiny bed frame Mikasa spent the better half of her Saturday thinking about belonged to the new neighbors’ one and only child who clearly wanted nothing to do with the apple pie she held in her trembling hands.

“Levi! Don’t be rude!”

Though she looked harmless sitting under a small green and silver crocheted blanket, the dark-haired woman – Kuchel, she introduced herself as – was undoubtedly the head of the house if the shrinking forms of her brother and son were anything to go by. Kenny, her tall and lanky brother, opened the door for Mikasa and her mother, but it was Kuchel who welcomed them into her sparsely furnished home as Levi, her son and watchful protector, stood feet away eyeing their guests suspiciously. With not a moving box in sight and everything – from table lamps to book shelves – resting in seemingly assigned places, it was hard to believe the three had moved in only 24 hours before. While her mother marveled at their one tea set on display with Kuchel, Mikasa stared at Levi, who was staring at her pie.

“Y-you can-.”

“Mom can’t have sugar,” he interrupted, scrunching his nose. “It’ll make her sick.”

Mikasa trembled under his gaze, chewing her bottom lip. He was only a couple inches taller, but she was sure he wouldn’t hesitate to throw her and her pie out the door if given the chance.  

“One slice isn’t going to kill her,” his uncle argued, walking up and grabbing a fistful of Levi’s hair, jostling the boy towards their kitchen. “Quit actin’ like a brat an’ set some plates at the table.”

“Kenny…” Kuchel warned, her voice low, “Go help Levi.”

Kenny grumbled, but took the pie from Mikasa anyway, gently patting her head with his free hand.

In the kitchen, Levi stuck his tongue out at his uncle, who then kicked his little step stool away, starting a little squabble between the two. Kuchel sighed and looked back to Mikasa who was trying to hide behind her mother.

“Who is that you’re holding?” Kuchel asked with a tender lilt in her voice, finally noticing the tiny bear tucked away in Mikasa’s arms.

Mikasa’s mother lightly chastised her for holding so many things at once, but the girl paid her no mind.

“This is Eren,” she chirped, growing bolder now that the attention was no longer on her. She held out her brown bear for Kuchel to marvel at.

Kuchel reached out and held him in gentle arms, carefully running her fingers through Eren’s brown fur as if he were a baby. He had a few matted spots, a small stain under one of his paws from what she guessed was chocolate, but his familiar stitching, green glass eyes, and pink-tinted cheeks were otherwise flawless.

“I love his red scarf!” She cooed, pointing to the crushed red velvet as Mikasa beamed in front of her.

“It’s so he doesn’t get cold at night. It used to be a bow, but he didn’t like it…”

Kuchel nodded in understanding, flipping Eren over to inspect his back. Her eyes instantly lit up the moment she found the telltale golden tag sewn securely behind his left leg.

“Levi has a Smith and Co. bear, too! Though I’m afraid his has seen better days…”

“It’s not my fault Kenny’s stupid dog bit his arm off!” Levi shouted from the dining room, placing the last of the plates down.

“Leave Uri out of this, shrimpo!” 

“ _ Language, you two! _ ” Kuchel snapped.

Kenny flicked the back of Levi’s head before walking over to help Kuchel from her seat to her place at the table, sagging his shoulders the moment he caught her glaring at him. She handed Eren back to Mikasa, who was more than happy to eat her slice of pie rather than listen to the adults talk about whatever it was adults talked about. She did wonder why Kuchel seemed to pause in conversation to catch her breath quite often, though. Something in Levi’s expression told her it was better to stay silent than ask. He sat quietly in his seat across from Mikasa, ignoring his plate.

Wanting to be helpful, Mikasa tried engaging him in conversation.

“Will you be in Mr. Arlert’s class next year?”

“Who?”

“Mr. Arlert. He teaches at Stohess Elementary.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Aren’t you going to be in second grade, too?” 

Kenny choked trying to hold in his laughter.

Levi scowled. “I’m thirteen.”

“Mikasa, dear,” Kuchel giggled behind her napkin, “Levi will actually be attending Trost Middle School down the street from Stohess Elementary. Can I count on you to walk him home safely after school?” she added with a wink.

“ _ Mom _ !”

Mikasa hid her face behind Eren for the remainder of their visit. Kenny, unable to keep a straight face, went outside to tend to his dog. Levi cleared the table as soon as everyone had finished their plates, hoping it would make Mikasa and her mother leave faster. It almost did until his mother told him to make a pot of tea and the conversation between the two mothers switched from tea blends to interior decorating to celebrity gossip.

Unsure of what to do, Mikasa followed Levi into the living room, clutching tight to Eren, and sat next to him on the couch. As he flipped from channel to channel with the television remote, she let her gaze wander about the room, her eyes finally settling just above the mantle of the tiny fireplace to a bear that looked strikingly similar to Eren, if not a little worn and missing an arm.  

“What’s that?” she asked, pointing.

Levi followed her line of sight and rolled his eyes back to the television. “A bear.” 

“Why is he all alone?”

“He likes it.”

Mikasa wiggled her feet on the couch cushion; legs too short to reach the floor. “ _ He _ ? What’s his name?”

“Bear.”

“That’s not a name.”

Levi huffed and marched over to the fireplace, grabbed the bear by its only arm, and tossed it unceremoniously onto Mikasa’s lap.

“Here,” he said, falling back to his seat, “He’s yours. You name him.”

Mikasa sat Eren carefully next to her and held up Levi’s bear for inspection, almost wanting to apologize to it for his behavior. Despite the one arm, it was easy to tell the bear was well-loved, with clumps of fiberfill thicker in certain areas throughout. It bore the same golden Smith and Co. tag and stitching; fur just a lighter shade than Eren’s. Instead of the signature bow on all the newer designs, this bear bore a small bolo tie – a discontinued accessory for at least ten years, known only by avid collectors.

“I like Erwin.” Mikasa said, playing with the bear’s tiny ears.

Levi grunted in acknowledgement, settling further into the seat cushions; his focus almost entirely on the cooking show on screen.

“He really liked teddy bears, but his mommy couldn’t afford new toys, so she learned how to make one out of flour bags and dressed it in his daddy’s ties.”

“So?”

“And everyone liked his teddy bear so much,” she continued, ignoring Levi, “that they wanted it for themselves, but he wouldn’t give it away because it was a gift from his mommy. But he felt bad because he wanted everyone else to have a bear, too, so his mommy helped him make more and he gave them to other mommies to give to their kids.”

“So you want to name my bear after the guy on the tag.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“So I’ll always remember that he is a gift from your mommy that you gave away.”

Mikasa and her mother left soon after, leaving Levi slack-jawed on the couch.

Every week after, Mikasa’s mother went next door to have tea and gossip with Kuchel. Mikasa went a few times, but only to play with Kenny’s dog, Uri. Levi was rarely around and she was always too shy to ask where he was. She’d catch him every morning from her bedroom window, though, leaving his house in his school uniform just as she was waking up. And then again that evening, coming home right before her bedtime. Most days he came home carrying a little bag from the pharmacy two blocks away.

Weekends were different. Mikasa was always a heavy sleeper – her father had once told her she could sleep through a titan invasion. Man-eating giants didn’t exist, though. They only existed in fairy tales alongside princesses and talking frogs. Still, it soon became habit to wake up at 5:00 every Saturday morning -- when most kids would choose to sleep in -- just to catch Levi leaving his house to take Uri for a morning walk. Levi caught her a few times at first, ignoring her waving from her bedroom window, until one morning, after it looked like she was on the verge of tears, he finally gave in and waved back, albeit halfheartedly. She never did catch the slight blush on his cheeks when he heard her squeal in excitement, startling her parents awake. This was their norm as autumn gave way to winter and though Mikasa wasn’t quite old enough to understand it herself, when Levi broke routine and didn’t emerge from his front door one Saturday morning, she felt more than a little hurt.

He didn’t leave his house the next day, or the day after that, leaving Mikasa feeling even more confused as they continued to wear on with no sign of Levi.

Friday night rolled around again, and though Mikasa made the decision to sleep in this time, the screams she heard outside her bedroom window well past midnight were enough to jolt her awake. She held tight to both Erwin and Eren as her father’s hurried footsteps and her mother’s hushed voice drifted down the hallway until the front door slammed shut, leaving Mikasa alone in the dark silence of their home as sirens wailed outside. 

Her mother eventually returned half an hour later and, much to Mikasa’s surprise, with a red-eyed Levi trailing behind her into her room. She reached for the handle on the side of  Mikasa’s bed and slowly drug out the trundle attachment normally reserved for sleepovers with friends. 

“I hope you won’t mind sleeping with Mikasa tonight,” her mother spoke in a gentle voice, as if she were afraid anything more would break the boy at her side, “but I’d rather you weren’t alone right now.” 

Levi just looked down at the mattress on the floor and nodded, knowing full well he wouldn’t be getting any sleep.

“Mr. Ackerman and I will be right down the hall if you need us, okay sweetheart?” she said, placing her hand over Levi’s shoulder before stepping out, quietly shutting the bedroom door behind her.

Levi, clad in sleep pants two sizes too big and a lavender-colored shirt that looked even bigger, sunk to the bed below, his head buried in his arms. Mikasa pulled her blanket further down, but stayed silent, watching Levi’s back as he eventually curled himself into a ball on the small bed. It was subtle at first, easy to miss the shaking of his bony shoulders, until his body betrayed him and he let out a soft sniffle.

“Levi…?” She whispered, unsure. “Are you okay?”

The shaking shoulders froze in place as he stiffened, caught.

“Leave me alone.” He finally muttered, rubbing his tear-stained face in his pillow.

Mikasa bit her bottom lip and stayed silent until she saw his shoulders begin to shake again a few moments later. Slowly and carefully, she grabbed Erwin by his good arm and held him out far enough that he was in Levi’s line of sight. For a moment, he thought Mikasa was teasing him, reminding him what he did. 

“He’ll help.” she eventually whispered, barely audible.

Silently, he reached out and took the bear, holding it at arm’s length in front of him before pulling it close and burying his nose in its soft fur. If Mikasa had been listening more carefully, she would have heard him whisper an apology.

“Thank you.” He mumbled, not bothering to conceal his tired sobs.

Mikasa said nothing as she watched Levi’s shoulders gradually still, drifting into a deep and steady sleep.

It was the first night in a week that he slept more than two hours at a time.

Breakfast was a quiet affair the next morning, neither child really touching their plate of pancakes. No one mentioned anything about Levi holding tight to Erwin the entire day until Kenny came to pick him up later that evening.

“Hey chibi.” he greeted from the entryway, his voice tired and defeated. He eyed the bear, but said nothing.

Levi grunted and slipped his shoes on before turning to Mikasa, almost hesitating as he eventually held Erwin out for her.

“…thanks.” he mumbled, looking down at the wooden floor planks.

Mikasa shook her head and gently pushed Erwin back to Levi. “He’s yours.”  _ I was just holding him for you _ , she wanted to say. But he seemed to understand.

For the second time since meeting her, Levi’s jaw went slack, only snapping it closed and nodding when Kenny finally grabbed his shoulder to lead him out of the house.

Mikasa watched them walk the short path to their home next door from her dining room window, her tiny hands pressing fingerprints into the window as it fogged with each shallow breath she took. Just as he was about to step over the threshold of his door, Levi paused, looked over, and waved. 


End file.
